


A Girl Has Come

by Miss_Eliza_Sparrow



Category: The Secret Garden, The Secret Garden - All Media Types, The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
Genre: Alternate Universe - Twins, Eventual Romance, F/M, Family, Friendship, some drama
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-13
Updated: 2019-04-22
Packaged: 2019-11-16 12:47:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18094595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miss_Eliza_Sparrow/pseuds/Miss_Eliza_Sparrow
Summary: AU. What if Colin and Mary were twins? Musical and book-based.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is going to be mostly musical and book-based.
> 
> I don't own The Secret Garden

Lily was dying right before Archibald's eyes. Her face had never been paler. The breaths she took were short and choppy. The light in her eyes was barley there. Her pink lips were turning blue, along with the top of her nails.

"Archie," Lily whispered, her eyes opening a crack.

"My dear," Archibald replied, "What do you need, dear?"

"I need you to promise me that you'll take good care of the twins. Please, darling." Lily started another coughing fit. Archibald held his wife close to him.

Archibald felt confused. He knew that Lily was going to die. Somewhere deep inside of him told him so. But why was it happening so fast? Archibald thought that he had at least a few more days with her.

"I will, Lily. I'll take care of them," Archibald promised. He laid Lily down and kissed her forehead.

"Bring them to me?" Lily begged.

Her husband rang the bell for Mrs. Medlock, who had been just a maid than. Miss Medlock and another maid each carried a baby to Lily. Lily laid both on top of her. She kissed their little heads. For a moment, the couple just watched their children sleep.

"I love you, Mary. I love you, Colin," Lily murmured. She looked up at Archibald. "These sweet little souls..."

"You'll be such a good mother, Lily." Archibald was smiling.

"You promised Archie..."

Lily's eyes flickered for a second. But closed. One more breath sucked the rest of the life out of her. Archibald froze. He couldn't believe that it was true. His Lily was dead.

Lilias Abbot Craven was dead.


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own The Secret Garden.

Archibald was a broken man after Lily's death. He sat in the corner all day. He refused to look at his children. The servants were the ones taking care of them. Not a loving mother or a proud father. They didn't feel the parental love they needed.

Lily's sister, Rose came out from India to come to her sister's funeral. She noticed how Archibald was. The poor children! They needed a family. Rose and her husband could supply them one.

"I'm taking the children, Archibald," Rose said after the funeral.

"What?" Archibald didn't understand anymore. I'm taking the children. Rose could take the children that remined him so much of Lily away from him. He would be a free man. "Yes, take them! Raise them! Love them! Give them what I cannot!"

Rose was surprised at his answer. She expected him to argue. But she shrugged it off and made arrangements to go home.

They left the following week. The night before their journey, Archibald found his children in their nursery asleep. He studied them for a moment. Both were so innocent. So sweet. Just like their mother. Archibald gathered enough courage to pick up Mary and hold her. Immediately, his eyes filled with tears. Mary already was the picture of Lily. Archibald set her down. He touched Colin's little head. His tears started to fall, but Archibald turned away not to get the twins wet.

As the ship left for India, Archibald stayed at the docks for hours after. Watching the ships go by. There seemed to be a part missing from inside of him.

Mary and Colin were gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I might change the title. Please give me any suggestions you have!
> 
> Thanks for reading! Review, please?


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own The Secret Garden.

Chapter Three

Misselthwaite Manor had become much more solemn without Lily's bright laughter lighting the otherwise gloomy house. It had been five long years since her death. Everyday stretched longer without her presence.

Archibald tried not to think about his children in India. But whenever he had free time, his mind wandered over to them. What were they doing now? Were they happy? Where they best friends or the greatest enemies? Was Rose her husband good to them?

The more he thought about the twins, the more he yearned to see them again. No, more than that. He wanted them again. Archibald wanted to hear children giggling and chasing each other through the house. Feel their soft lips giving them kisses. He wanted Lily's children back.

He wrote to Rose, requesting her to bring the twins back. But she answered:

Dear Archibald,

I do believe that you are well enough to see your children again. I can understand that you would like them to live with you again. You may have Colin back, but Mary's grown awfully close to me and I don't wish to leave her. Robert and I have recently learned that we cannot have children, so we want to keep Mary. It's what Lily would of wanted, you know. But Colin is all yours.

I've made arrangements to come in three weeks' time.

See you then,

Rose

If he couldn't have both then one would be alright. At least he wouldn't be so lonely anymore. He would have his son. Colin.

Three weeks later, Rose arrived at the docks with two children on her hands. Archibald ran up the three of them. For a second he only started at the children. They were his. A overwhelming sense of love ran through Archibald. He saw Lily in both of them. In Mary's eyes and Colin's smile.

"Mary, Colin," the man whispered.

"Are you my papa?" Mary asked so innocently.

"Yes."

To everyone's surprise Mary reached out to her father. Archibald didn't know quite what to do. Rose gestured to him to pick Mary up. Gently, with his hands shaking, Archibald reached out and scoped his daughter up. He held her so still, for he couldn't hurt the dear thing. Soon, Colin was climbing up his father's leg.

"Me too!" exclaimed Colin.

With two children in his arms, Archibald walked to the carriage with Rose. Inside the adults talked while the twins played. Mary ended up falling asleep on her father's chest.

"I love you," Archibald whispered to the sleeping girl.

A week later, Colin was in Archibald's arms, waving goodbye to his sister and aunt. He was home.

And he brought Archibald home too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, the ending was a reference to Les Miserables.
> 
> Thanks for reading! Please review! Because it'll make you and me happy!
> 
> Happy Easter!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Please review!


End file.
